Eternal Whispers
by Jackie Almasy
Summary: During the first night of the sickness while fighting for her life, her dreams and memories become invaded by strange whispers and a song she could not ignore. And in those whispers and hummings, she hears Tamlen's call of help...


Eternal Whispers

By Jackie Almasy

* * *

_The moonlight streamed down through the thick canopies of the trees, occasionally flickering with the light breeze drifting through. The birds and small animals chattered amongst the tall branches reaching towards the sky, some thick with age and strength while other was thin and frail with infancy. A small pair of blue eyes stared up at the wondrous heavens peeking through the living labyrinth._

_The Dalish child of twelve years held in her gasp of awe. Reaching blindly behind her, her hands touched the bark of the ancient tree. Caressing it tenderly, Lyna sat down on the wet ground. The rains had finally passed after days of ceaseless showers and despite the stern words of the keeper warning her to not wander outside the safety of the clan's watchful gaze, she felt called to the world just within her reach. She could no longer ignore the beckoning of the forest surroundings more than she could stop the need to breathe._

_Her eyes adjusted quickly to the silver illumination around her. She remained still and quiet, listening to the many sounds of the forest around her. Somewhere in the distance, she heard the cry of a solo wolf. The long note called through the night. Perhaps it was alerting its fellow pack members of a fresh kill or seeking to know their location._

_A short gasp escaped her as a nervous cry of a halla reached her ears. Maren would no doubt react to such a cry from the herd they relied on. Lyna chuckled gently, putting aside her worries._

_The sudden snapping of a branch made Lyna freeze in place. Holding her breath, Lyna pushed herself more against the trunk of the tall tree. She remained still, trying to remember the lessons Master Ilen had taught her about hunting._

_"Remain still and calm but be as collected as the wolf on the hunt. Anticipate the actions of your prey but never show dishonor to your target." She snapped out of her thoughts as another snap reached her ears. It was getting close, less than a few feet away._

_Standing up slowly against the tree, Lyna took in one last breath before slowly peeking around the tree. Grasping onto the tree, Lyna snuck around the large base. The woods behind her looked empty, no sign of any life or movement around her. Letting out a sigh of relief, Lyna relaxed enough to let her guard down._

_"Caught you lethallan!"_

_Crying out in shock, Lyna fell backwards onto the ground. Looking up, her eyes narrowed in anger as Tamlen towered over her. Dressed in a pair of black pants and a simple white shirt, the smirking form of her friend caused her to writhe in anger._

_"What are you doing Tamlen? If the Keeper catches you out here, you can get in a lot of trouble!"_

_Chuckling smugly, Tamlen grinned down at Lyna._

_"I could say the same thing about you Lyna! What would happen if Merrill caught wind of you out here? Besides, if you didn't get caught sneaking out, what are the chances of them catching me?"_

_"It's not like I couldn't hear you coming! You're not the great hunter you think you are da'len!" Pushing herself up, her determined gaze met Tamlen's unfaltering frown. Walking foreword, Tamlen brought his voice down to a whisper._

_"Last time I checked Lyna, you were as much of a da'len as I was! I saw you sneaking out and was worried! Hunters have seen packs of wolves hunting closer than ever and I didn't want anything bad to happen to you! So pardon me for caring enough about you to risk coming out here!"_

_Turning sharply on his heels, Tamlen headed off into the woods back towards the clan. Shocked at his confession, Lyna's look of anger quickly melted into one of confusion and sadness. Biting her lower lip, Lyna suddenly broke into a run to catch up. Grasping his elbow, Lyna looked up to his light brown hair shimmering in the moonlight._

_"Abelas Tamlen," She felt his body stop in mid-step though he made no move to look back just yet. "It's been so long since I saw the stars! I… I just wanted to look for a little while."_

_Looking over his shoulder, Tamlen's sapphire gaze met her own striking icy blue eyes. Sighing in defeat, Tamlen turned to bring his hand gently on top of her head._

_"You were always so independent lethallan. Staring off in the distance and sneaking off into the woods in the middle of the night." Moving his arm from her grasp, a light blush spread amongst his cheeks as he wrapped his hand tenderly around her own. "I feel left behind sometimes Lyna."_

_Blinking in shock, she shifted uncomfortably._

_"Fenarel told me I was acting like a shemlen during archery practice today." She looked up to see Tamlen's gaze suddenly turn hard and protective. She continued, _

_"Merrill was no different. She told me that if I didn't make myself more a part of the clan that I was going to end up like the flat-ears."_

_"Don't listen to them." Tamlen's grasp tightened around her hand, leading her back through the woods towards the clan._

_"I won't let that happen. You're home is with us Lyna. We need you. I…" Tamlen stopped in midsentence, sighing in defeat. "I can't lose best friend."_

_Allowing herself to be led back, Lyna smiled in response. She was torn out of the moment however as she felt Tamlen's hand tighten around hers in a painful grasp._

_"T-Tamlen! Stop! That hurts!" Lyna struggled to take her hand out of his, her eyes widening as his healthy skin suddenly began tainting before her eyes. A pitch black substance began staining his skin, contorting his body as she could hear bones crack and muscles tear. His hands transformed into long claws, his breathing becoming haggard._

_"Tamlen?"_

_Gripping harder, Lyna fell to her knees in pain and began crying from the grip. Tamlen turned around slowly, his face now contorted and dripping with constant rivulets of black blood._

_"L-Lyna…" She watched his once gentle blue eyes suddenly beginning to change, the black taint filling the whites of his eyes. _

_"Why did you leave me?"_

* * *

Her scream of horror startled her awake.

Looking around in confusion, Lyna's body shot upright. Swaying, her pale skin glistened in the candle light with a sickly pale color. Sweat drenched her body, the fever of the sickness ravishing her body and common sense.

_"T-That's not how that night happened! W-Where are you…Tamlen?"_

She looked around before pushing herself to attempt to stand. Gripping onto the edge of the wooden wall, she groaned as she knocked over books and a bowl holding a green herbal salve. The bitter smell of medicine filled her nostrils, pushing aside the smell of smoke from the campfires outside.

The soaked blanket fell from her nearly naked form, only a single cotton white shirt covering her body. The edges clung halfway down her thighs, her bare feet barely managing to keep her upright.

"What happened…? Why don't I remember clearly? Hunting, finding shemlens, a ruin…" Lyna brought a hand to her scorching face, whimpering from the pain suddenly coursing through her veins and head. "A-And then… And then."

Her head perked up suddenly, hearing what sounded like a distant humming. The note was faint at first, echoing deep within the reaches of her mind. It grew in volume, a crescendo of many voices and different languages. The level of noise grew together, illuminating a single commanding voice from what seemed to be the core her very being.

Moaning in agony, Lyna nearly fell foreword onto the ground as she clutched her forehead. A single whisper pulled her out of the pain momentarily, consuming all her attention.

_"Lethallan…"_

Her blue eyes widened, wisps of her flaming red hair falling down and clinging to her wet face.

"Tamlen…?"

She pushed the flaps of cloth aside from the aravel entrance, nearly crying out at how cold the night air felt on her feverish body. Her eyes looked around hectically, seeking the source of the familiar voice.

It drew her towards the nearby cluster of trees just a ways away.

_"Lethallan… H-Help me!"_

Pushing her body as fast as it could go, she jumped down from the aravel. Crying out in pain of the sudden exertion she was forcing onto her trained muscles, her body collapsed to the ground. Uttering a groan of physical anguish, she struggled to push herself up.

_"Lyna… Lyna…"_

The humming and whispers were drowned out now, her barely kindled consciousness focusing only on the whispers of her lost friend.

Crawling a few feet before having the strength to stand, Lyna clutched her way through the trees to the clearing and rock ravine in front of her. She stumbled again, barely stopping the tears of physical pain from streaming down her face as she collided with the wooden statue of Fen'Harel.

"W-Where are you…? Tamlen?" Her voice barely made it to above a whisper. Her eyes scanned the moonlit ravine in front of her, seeking any sign of him. Pushing herself once again to a shaky standing, his pain filled voice begged for her.

_"L-Lethallan…! I-It hurts! Help me!"_

His scream echoed within her mind. Recoiling in horror and dread, her eyes dilated from the sickness soaring through her mind. Looking towards the bottom of the ravine, Lyna walked dangerously close towards the end. From what little sense her mind could make, a small smile of bitter hope spread over her face.

"I'm coming..."

The whispers of many languages and tones suddenly returned, drowning out the single words of her friend in her mind. Raising one foot, she attempted to take a step off of the steep rocky cliff…

"Da'len! NO!"

Ripping her from her gentle state of mind, Lyna suddenly felt her sick body ripped backwards from its destination and into the strong encasing arms of the elder Paivel. Falling backwards onto the ground, the old Dalish elf struggled to hold the struggling body of the strong huntress.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Her voice grew in volume, alerting their fellow clan mates of her location. Their distant voices were growing in volume fast with their rapid approach.

Managing to get to his knees, Paivel's silver hair swayed in the air with her struggling. Fenarel pushed his way through the branches of the blocking trees, throwing his bow to the ground and getting in front of Lyna's struggling form.

"By the Creators, Lyna! Please stop!" Fenarel begged his childhood friend, his eyes watering with seeing her in such a state.

Lyna's panting form suddenly began losing its strength, her once determined form suddenly breaking down as body collapsed to the ground. Being help up solely by Paivel behind her and Fenarel holding most of her dead weight, they gasped in horror as she suddenly began crying and howling in emotional distress.

"No! No come back! Tamlen! TAMLEN!" Her scream grew in volume, her normally collected gaze now scouting the horizon with a crazed obsession.

Her lips trembled, crying out in emotional horror as her hands clutched at Fanarel's armor before reaching out towards the ravine.

"Don't leave me behind! Tamlen! Lethallin!" Receiving no reply to her cries, her eyes widened in horror as the whispers in her head stopped cut off the voice of her fallen friend.

Letting her limbs drop lifelessly to the ground beside her, Lyna's face slowly succumbed to the pain and emotional barrage. Crying out from the depths of her soul, Lyna's scream echoed into the night sky and carried throughout the forest.

Reacting quickly, Paivel ordered Fanarel to seek the Keeper. Collecting the Lyna's form into his arms, his tender eyes watered at seeing her in such pain and distress. Wrapping one arm tightly around her shoulders, his wrinkled warm hand turned her face into his shoulder and lower neck. He held her tightly, struggling to keep his own emotions in check.

"Oh da'len. My poor, poor da'len…"

Running his hand along the top of her flaming red hair, he pushed away the rebellious strands clinging to her sweat drenched face.

Amidst the cries of sorrow and pain, Lyna managed to utter a few words coherently.

"No… Oh Creators no! Why…? Why…? Tamlen…! Oh Tamlen! C-Come back, please!'

Shushing her gently, Paivel couldn't stop two tears from caressing down his cheeks. He whispered in a gentle soothing voice, sensing the Keeper and Ashalle coming into view.

"Abelas da'len… Abelas." He clutched her tighter as he felt the tremors of the sickness return to her body. His soul cried silently at watching Lyna's body fall unconscious once again, succumbing to the foreign sickness that wracked her body. He dared not say his next words to her being conscious.

"We don't know what became of Tamlen… We found no trace of our lost da'len. You loved him so, didn't you?"

Hearing the commands of Keeper Marethari behind him, Fanarel and another hunter lifted her form from his grasp. Standing and watching them rush her back to the Keeper's aravel, Paivel finally let the tears of sadness fall from his eyes upon being left alone.

Raising his gaze to the stars, he silently began praying to the Creators.

_"Creators. Falon'Din. Should he be dead, please, guide him to your gracious rest. Ma serannas…"_

* * *

_This piece was inspired by my first play through of the Dalish Elf origin story. The Warden was out for two days according to the storyline so this posed a "what if" scenario in my mind. From reading the book __Dragon Age: The Stole Throne__ by DAO lead writer David Gaider, it is explained that the darkspawn communicate to each other through "humming" and "singing."_

_It fascinated me enough to no end so I toyed with this little idea. If both Tamlen and the Warden were infected with the taint at the same time, this seemed a very interesting aspect to explore with a one-shot._

_Till next time,_

_Jackie Almasy_

Dragon Age Origins is copyrighted by Bioware and Electronic Arts.


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